Treatment of brackish water reverse osmosis brine using only solar energy

Said, Ibrahim A.; Fuentes, Naomi; He, Ze; Xin, Ruikun; Zuo, Kuichang; Walker, W. Shane; Li, Qilin

doi:10.1039/d1ew00291k

Treatment of brackish water reverse osmosis brine using only solar energy

Journal Article · Thu Aug 05 00:00:00 EDT 2021 · Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1039/d1ew00291k· OSTI ID:1978788

^[1]; Fuentes, Naomi ^[2]; He, Ze ^[2]; Xin, Ruikun ^[2]; Zuo, Kuichang ^[2]; ^[3]; ^[2]

Rice University, Houston, TX (United States); OSTI
Rice University, Houston, TX (United States)
Rice University, Houston, TX (United States); University of Texas at El Paso, TX (United States)

Post-treatment of brine produced by reverse osmosis (RO) is a great challenge as it often requires high energy input and works under extreme operating conditions. In this study, brine from a RO plant in El Paso, TX USA was successfully treated using a pilot-scale nanophotonics enhanced solar membrane distillation (NESMD) system. The novel NESMD reactor has a nanophotonic membrane surface area of 0.2 m² and an internal heat recovery system to recover the latent heat released during vapor condensation. By utilizing a sweeping gas operational mode under real solar irradiation (585–827 W m^-2), the NESMD realized successful desalination of RO brine with the membrane flux reaching 0.45–0.65 kg m^-2 h^-1 and total dissolved solids (TDS) removal greater than 99.5% without an external heat condenser. The decrease in the feed flow rate to the evaporation channel of the NESMD system led to an increase in the gained output ratio (GOR) from 0.35 to 0.62. We report to the best of our knowledge, this is the largest photothermal reactor utilized for the desalination of real RO brine under practical solar irradiation. Compared with conventional brine treatment processes that require high temperature or pressure, the NESMD desalinates RO brine at near-ambient temperature and pressure with free solar energy, providing a promising approach for water desalination, and RO brine post treatment.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Rice University, Houston, TX (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: National Science Foundation (NSF); USDOE; USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office

Grant/Contract Number:: EE0008397

OSTI ID:: 1978788

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1814539

Journal Information:: Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology, Journal Name: Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 7; ISSN 2053-1400

Publisher:: Royal Society of ChemistryCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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